20110630

If P.F. Chang were a person, it (he? she?) would be too young to drink. However the national chain is marking its 18th birthday with several promotions, among them a bottled wine promotion.

Every Monday and Tuesday in July, in-restaurant visitors will be able to purchase any bottle on the wine list for one-third off the listed price.

Considering that the industry average markup is double the retail price, that results in a very good deal for consumers, especially since P.F. Chang's pays more attention to its wine list than most chains. One other promotion is the offer of free lettuce wraps for visitors to the chain's Facebook page between July 6 and 31.

Some of the good deals I've pulled from the chain's wine list (price listed includes one-third reduction):

New research says young binge drinkers may be seriously damaging their brains.

Researcher Tim McQueeny, a doctoral student in the University of Cincinnati Department of Psychology, will present his findings in Atlanta this week at the 34th annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism.

In his study, high-resolution brain scans on a sample of 29 weekend binge drinkers aged 18 to 25 found that binge-drinking –- defined as consuming four or more drinks in one incident for females and five or more drinks for males -– was linked to cortical-thinning of the pre-frontal cortex, the section of the brain related to such "executive functions" as paying attention, planning and making decisions, processing emotions and controlling impulses leading to irrational behavior. McQueeny examined the gray matter -- parts of brain cells that do the thinking, receiving and transmitting of messages.

“We have seen evidence that binge drinking is associated with reduced integrity in the white matter, the brain’s highways that communicate neuron messaging, but alcohol may affect the gray matter differently than the white matter,” he says.

Researchers could see a relationship between gray matter thickness and binge drinking among college-aged young adults. They found that greater number of drinks per binge is associated with cortical thinning. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says 42% of young Americans ages 18 to 25 have engaged in binge drinking.

“Alcohol might be neurotoxic to the neuron cells, or, since the brain is developing in one’s 20s, it could be interacting with developmental factors and possibly altering the ways in which the brain is still growing,” he says.

The research was supported by a $300,000 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

20110629

Sweeping pronouncements about wine probably play some part in why newcomers often are turned off by wine snobbery.

That is why I like to poke a stick at people who make such silly comments. Here's the most recent I've come across. It is a quote from Michael Madrigale, head sommelier at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud in New York City, according to the blog EatOcracy:

"Ordering a bottle of Pinot Grigio is like ordering salmon at a four-star restaurant -- not entirely bad, but something more appropriate for your grandmother."

What utter drivel! Could it be that Madrigale's employer -- the celebrity chef Daniel Boulud -- makes more money selling other wines if he steers customers away from such things as Pinot Grigio, which usually is fairly priced? I would rather a sommelier, especially such an influential one, make his sales by recommending wines on their own strengths rather than knocking an entire category.

Some of my better casual lunches have been salads and fowl accompanied by a lightly chilled Pinot Grigio -- usually Santa Margherita which is, I believe, the top seller in the category.

The crispness of that wine, with rounds notes of melon, grape and light floral, pairs wonderfully with everything from a bold cheese to a grilled chicken breast to a cider wine vinaigrette on field greens. Oh, and salmon, too.

20110625

• The actor Kyle MacLachlan has a growing sideline as co-owner of the Pursued By Bear winery in Washington State. In an interview with The New York Times, he spoke tongue-in-cheek about the vagaries of finding a profit in such a difficult, competitive field.

MacLachlan: "I buy the barrels and (partner) Eric (Dunham) buys the grapes and pays for all the equipment, and then we split whatever profit there might be."

NYT: How big were the profits so far?

MacLachlan: "We were in the high four-figures last year -- almost $9,000 apiece."
[Go here for my archive of Celebri-Quotes.]

20110623

ONTARIO, NY -- New York State's winemakers, commercial and amateur alike, are a very eclectic bunch when it comes to what they use to make wines. Grapes of all varieties, of course, along with apples, plums, strawberries, pears, raspberries, cherries and the like.

And then there is Jill Misterka.

The Wayne County resident likes to make her special wines out of flowers, something she started in 2009.

She has gotten so proficient at it that she will be awarded three gold medals in August from the amateur division of the New York State Fair competition for her dandelion, lilac and day lily wines.

Misterka, who also is newletter editor of the Rochester Area Home Winemakers, was featured in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle's "RocBlog of the Day." You can read it here.

20110620

HEALDSBURG, CA -- The annual International Eastern Wine Competition this year was held in the West. Go figure.

The competition, sponsored by Vineyard & Winery Management Magazine, this year was conducted at Villa Chanticleer, a farming complex in California's Russian River Valley that is part of the Santa Rosa Junior College, which trains many of California's wine industry professionals.

The site change, according to Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation and one of the judges, came about because "The New York wholesaler who received the competition wines all these years was unable to do so, for whatever reason, so this year alone a change in venue was required, and next year it will move back east."

OK, that's out of the way. Now, on to the Sweepstakes awards. (You can go here for the full rundown of all medalists.)

20110617

PORTLAND, OR -- Winemakers around the state are coping with another late growing season as persistently cool spring weather delays the growth of the grape crop.

Oregon’s $1.4 billion wine industry has grown to more than 400 commercial wineries where managers try to balance the effects of weather that can range from cool and wet to hot and dry in short order.

At Seven of Hearts winery in Carlton, owner Byron Dooley said the cool early spring has set him back about two weeks from where he would like to be. If he’s jittery, it’s because the conditions are reminiscent of last year, when only an extended burst of sun in early October averted a wholesale washout.

"I always remind myself that it’s not what happens in June but what happens in October that’s most crucial," Dooley told The Oregonian. "But 2010 was the most white-knuckled vintage I’ve been through. I would love not to have to do that all again."

A late start to the growing season makes it difficult to ever fully catch up. And, when summer sunshine comes, unseasonable heat spikes can flood grapes with too much sugar, resulting in flabby, unbalanced wines.

20110616

BUFFALO, NY -- A survey of wine drinkers conducted by the University at Buffalo School of Management has found that 54% say they are opposed to a proposal to allow supermarkets to sell wine.

That survey, released today, is the flip side of a recent Siena Research Institute Poll at Siena College in Albany County that found that 59% of respondents favored the proposal.

By comparison with Siena's 819-respondent survey, UB surveyed more than 5,000 households.

The survey also was more detailed than Siena's in how questions were asked. Siena's question was part of a larger package of legislative initiatives, while UB's asked numerous questions on the wine sales topic. Some results:

• 54% of respondents said they are opposed to wine sales in supermarkets.

• 42% of those opposing such sales cited "negative impact on small businesses" as their reason.

• 87% of those who favored the proposal did so because of shopping convenience.

• 10% of those in favor cited potential for reduced prices.

According to the co-authors of the study, Jain, Ram Bezawada and Gary Pickering, survey participants included both men (38%) and women (62%) representing all age, income and education groups. Jain and Bezawada are co-directors of the school's Research Group in Integrated Marketing (RIM). Pickering is a professor of biological sciences and psychology/wine science at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.

CANANDAIGUA, NY -- Constellation Wines has unveiled a new line of unoaked -- "naked" -- wines after testing the concept in eight markets.

Simply Naked's inaugural portfolio includes 2010 vintages of pinot grigio, chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, all at a suggested retail price of $9.99. Approximately 150,000 cases were produced for this rollout.

The test markets had been New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Colorado, Missouri and North Carolina. The wines are made at the Simply Naked Winery in Woodbridge, CA.

Constellation, headquartered in this Finger Lakes community, said the new unoaked wines are subject to aging in stainless steel, "which allows the true varietal character to be fully expressed without the influence of oak barrels."

“When we asked consumers what attracted them to Simply Naked wines, 52% attributed 'simplicity’ as their main motivation to try the wine and nearly half named unoaked style as the reason they would purchase it,” said Nicole Glenn, the new line’s director of marketing.

20110613

LOUDONVILLE, NY -- Wads of money have been spent, letters to the editor feverishly written, press conferences held, legislators' arms twisted -- all by both camps in the wine-in-supermarkets battle. So, how is it all working out for the latest round of proposed legislation that would allow the same thing 35 other states already permit?

“A strong majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents support passing a law to allow wine to be sold in supermarkets and grocery stores. There is support in every region, with strongest support in the downstate suburbs. Younger voters support it more than older voters,” says Steven Greenberg of the Siena Research Institute at Siena College.

The institute bases that conclusion on a telephone poll it conducted June 5-8 among 819 registered New York voters. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.4 points. It is interesting to note that as time has passed, the percentage of people in favor of selling wines in markets has increased, and the percentage of those opposed has dropped.

Here is the question as posed, with the responses recorded by the institute:

20110612

Wild spring weather across California's wine country has been enough to drive a vintner to drink.

From killer snow in the Sierra Nevada foothills to dry-season downpours along the coast to a hard freeze in temperate Paso Robles, 2011 is proving a challenging vintage.

"That's what makes this business so damned interesting," said Jim Fiolek, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Vintners' Association.

It also can keep winemakers up at night.

Jason Haas, general manager of Tablas Creek Vineyard near Paso Robles, said winemaker Neil Collins has experienced many sleepless nights this spring.

"These people who envy the winemaker's lifestyle should drive around here with Neil at 3 a.m. when he knows it's freezing and there's nothing he can do about it," Haas said.

Vintners have long joked that the weather is just like last year -- different. But people expect to find constants in the nation's premiere grape-growing state.

Rain is expected to taper in April and end by May, then not return until November. In those months, balmy temperatures awaken dormant vines from their winter slumber and buds start to break. This year there has been frost and record rain in June. Sustained temperatures over 70 didn't hit until this week in most wine regions.

Now just days before the official start of summer it looks like early spring across California wine country. Buds are just emerging and the fruit is forming far behind schedule.
[Go here for the full story.]

20110605

That Pennsylvania wine kiosk experiment I've been reporting on has taken a negative turn.

Wegmans, the New York-based supermarket chain that had been home to numerous kiosks, has decided to unplug the devices operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

The chain said the machines -- which require buyers to submit to a Breathalyzer, swipe a driver's license and look into a video camera staffed by a state employee -- "proved not to be ... a valuable addition to the shopping experience," according to a statement issued by Wegmans spokeswoman Jo Natale. Consumers in Pennsylvania want to purchase wine in supermarkets, Natale wrote, but not like this.

At this point, kiosks remain in selected Walmart stores in Pennsylvania.